Game apparatus.



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GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mmza, 1910.

Patented J an. 3, 1911.

in: Mosul: Pzrmzs ca. WASHINGTON. n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLENN COLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLENN COLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to game apparatus designed for playing a game in close imitation of the popular American field game of base-ball, and the object of the invention is to furnish means whereby the different features of such game are closely imitated and permit a close application of the rules governlng the game, thereby serving to amuse as well as to instruct the players in the knowledge of the game itself.

The invention stated in general terms, consists of a game apparatus when constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the board on which the game is played; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof; Figs. 3, 4;, and 5 are cross sections on lines waz', y3/, 2-2, respectively; Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the ame board; and Fig. 7 represents the pltchers ball. Fig. 8 is a cross section on line w-- w showing the ball in position in the grooved runway ready to be projected.

Referring to the drawings 1 represents a flat board provided with a raised border 2 around its four sides and supported on legs 3. Upon the surface of the board a diamond is marked off by means of cylindrical hollow posts 4, 5 and 6 representing I, II, and III base respectively and the posts 7 and 8 representing home and starting position for the base runner respectively. The

posts are connected by grooves 9 formed in the surface of the board and adapted to guide the marbles which represent the runners in the base lines. At each end of these grooves below the posts there is a slight depression in the groove for the marbles to drop into and into each of these depressions enters a vertical arm 10 formed at the end of a spring actuated lever 11 pivotally secured on the underside of the board beneath the posts 8, 4, 5, and 6. The free ends of these levers are connected by cords or other suitable connecting mechanism to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 28, 1910. Serial No. 540,713.

controlling finger pieces 12. 13, 14 and 15 grouped on the edge of the board, all so arranged that by actuating these finger pieces in the outward direction and letting suddenly go of them, the lovers are actuated by the finger pieces and the sudden release will cause the arms 10 to impart a suflicient im petus to the marbles to propel them to the next succeeding bases.

The post 8 is open at the top for the in sertion of a marble and thus by the successive operation of the finger pieces 12, 13, 14: and 15 the marble may be sent around the bases to the post 7 marking the home plate where a hole at the end of the runway may be placed to allow it to drop out.

In the space 1.9 which corresponds to the outfield, a flat molding 20 is secured upon the face of the board and this serves as a shift check or barrier as will be seen more fully hereinafter. Another barrier is preferably formed by means of a net 21 secured to posts 22 which are removably inserted into holes 23 at the corners of the board. A short rail 24; is secured upon the border near the post 7 the formation of which will be explained hereafter.

In practice each team is represented by a player, the one representing the team in the field does the pitching as well as the fielding and the one representing the team at bat does the batting and also controls the base running. The former uses a flat disk 25 as shown in Fig. 7 as a substitute for the ball and propels it from the pitchers box by striking it with a mallet or a diminutive base ball bat 26 as it passes between the )osts 7 and 8. The rail 24 prevents the player wielding the bat, from sweeping the whole open space between the posts 7 and 8, thus making it a matter of skill for him to strike the ball, but if a hit is made the batter drops a marble into post 8 and causes it to run to first base while the pitcher with his stick or mallet fields the ball against the post the runner is bound for. If the post is struck before the marble gets there, the runner is out. If the ball travels to the outfield beyond the rise produced by the molding 20 the fielding will be made more difficult on account of it and thus repeated efforts will be required to field it similar to relaying the ball in the actual game. In case of there being other runners on bases the player is enabled to start them from any base at the same time and it will be readily seen without Patented Jan. 3, 1911..

further description that my game apparatus permits a full exemplification of the various features and of the rules applying to the actual game of base ball and depending in like manner upon the skill of the players.

- lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a game apparatus the'combination with a board representing a ball field suitably marked to indicate the pitchers box and home plate, of posts at opposite sides of the home plate and at the base positions, and grooves connecting the posts and forming a runway for marbles.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with a board representing a ball field and suitably marked to indicate the pitchers box and home plate, of posts at the bases and at opposite sides of the home plate, grooves forming a runway for marbles from post to post, and mechanical means at the posts for actuating the marbles from post to post upon said runway.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination with a board representing a ball field, of grooves in the surface of the board representing the base lines of a diamond and forming a runway for marbles adapted to guide the same in successive stops around the diamond, spring actuated levers pivotally secured in the underside of the board and movable in the horizontal plane thereof, said levers provided with vertical extensions at their ends adapted to impel the marbles from stop to stop, finger pieces pivotally secured at the outer edge of the board and actuating connections between the finger pieces and the levers.

4:. In a ame apparatus, the combination of a board representing a base ball field, and provided with grooves representing the base lines of a diamond and forming a run way for marbles, posts representing the base positions of the diamonds, and a strip or molding dividing the ball field into an infield and an outfield.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLENN COLE.

WVitnesses A. M. SHANNON, Lnwrs E. FLANDERS. 

